Events: What can the Washington region learn from Vienna about affordable housing?

Vienna, Austria is routinely celebrated as one of the most “livable” cities in the world, and you have a rare opportunity to engage with their city officials right here in Greater Washington.

Montgomery County has partnered with the University of Maryland and the Embassy of Austria to host an exhibition, provide presentations, and a community discussion on Vienna’s approach to social housing, energy, and mobility this Friday, September 13, from 1 to 6 pm at the University of Maryland’s School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (3835 Campus Drive, College Park, MD).

You can attend the opening of a traveling exhibit entitled The Municipality is Building. Vienna Residential Construction 1920 to 2020 that will run through October 20th. And, starting at 2 pm, you’ll enjoy a free symposium about “The Vienna Model: Social Housing for the 21st Century.” Get more information here!

What would happen if Montgomery County considered Vienna’s approach? Well, you can find out at the “Community Conversation” on Saturday September 14 from 9:30 to 11:30 am at the Montgomery County Council Office Building (100 Maryland Ave., 3rd Floor Hearing Room, Rockville, MD), including presentations from a member of the Vienna City Council, the Director of the Vienna Housing Agency, and more. Sign up to attend here!

Also, don’t forget about the opportunity this weekend (Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15) to join GGWash contributor-led tours with WalkingTown DC, as described in last week’s post!

Other events from around the region:

Tuesday, September 10

Living east of Rock Creek: It’s your last chance to check in on the Rock Creek East I Livability Study, designed “to enhance the community quality of life through improvements to transportation safety and connections to destinations for all modes” in the area “defined by Rock Creek and the Maryland border to the West, Eastern Avenue to the North, New Hampshire Avenue NE and the Red Line Metrorail tracks to the East, and Military Road NW, Missouri Avenue NW, and Riggs Road NE to the South.”

From 6:30 to 9:30 pm at the Metropolitan Police Department Fourth District (6001 Georgia Avenue NW), help the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to “identify specific opportunities to improve accommodations for people walking, biking, riding the bus, and driving.” Find out more at www.rceast1.com.

Thursday, September 12

What does vehicle automation have in store for the US? Swing by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) monthly gathering from 5 to 6:30 pm at APTA’s office (11th Floor, East Tower - Suite 1200, 1300 I St NW) to meet with Deputy Assistant Secretary Finch Fulton [who] will speak about the US Department of Transportation’s vision for vehicle automation and the framework provided in its AV 3.0 policy document.

The discussion will cover US DOT’s role in key cross-cutting issues including cooperative automation and connectivity; pilot testing; cybersecurity; and privacy. To attend, please RSVP to APTA’s Cynthia Owens at cowens@apta.com.

Check out more urbanist events at ggwash.org/calendar. Do you have an event you’d like to see featured in the weekly events post? Submit it here!